I don't post here often (anymore), but here are my thoughts on the first night (april 16th):

Compared to his last two visits to Amsterdam (2013, same venue - 2015 in Carre) I thought there was a remarkable drop in quality of performance. I thought those last two visits were great, but this concert was average at best.

While I enjoy some Sinatra covers (Melancholy Mood for instance), I thought All or Nothing at All, and Old Black Magic were terrible. Autumn Leaves is fine, but not as a closer to the main set.

But also the other stuff was not quite as good as it has been before. Pay in Blood, Long and Wasted Years and Things Have Changed are really lacklustre compared to 2 or 3 years ago. Ballad of a Thin Man is not nearly as good as it was around 2010/2011. Also, while She Belongs to Me was often a highlight imo (and performed with vigor) we now get a throw away performance of Don't Think Twice. Same goes for Desolation Row: while Forgetful Heart or Simple Twist used to be show stoppers, this is just a mess (not in the least due to the piano).

There were some good moments though: really enjoyed Love Sick (almost on par with the great 2015 versions as final encore), Tangled, and Early Roman Kings. Overall I thought the vocals were good as well.

Although I think it makes perfect sense for him to work with a static set list (it really marked an improve in performance between 2012 and 2013), I think it is time for him and his band to craft a new set.

Well, now that I'm stuck at the airport for god knows how long, I think I've changed my mind. The shows were both perfect, the venue is the best ever and I should totally stay for tonight as well. Does anyone have a good ticket for sale?

I don't post here often (anymore), but here are my thoughts on the first night (april 16th):

Compared to his last two visits to Amsterdam (2013, same venue - 2015 in Carre) I thought there was a remarkable drop in quality of performance. I thought those last two visits were great, but this concert was average at best.

While I enjoy some Sinatra covers (Melancholy Mood for instance), I thought All or Nothing at All, and Old Black Magic were terrible. Autumn Leaves is fine, but not as a closer to the main set.

But also the other stuff was not quite as good as it has been before. Pay in Blood, Long and Wasted Years and Things Have Changed are really lacklustre compared to 2 or 3 years ago. Ballad of a Thin Man is not nearly as good as it was around 2010/2011. Also, while She Belongs to Me was often a highlight imo (and performed with vigor) we now get a throw away performance of Don't Think Twice. Same goes for Desolation Row: while Forgetful Heart or Simple Twist used to be show stoppers, this is just a mess (not in the least due to the piano).

There were some good moments though: really enjoyed Love Sick (almost on par with the great 2015 versions as final encore), Tangled, and Early Roman Kings. Overall I thought the vocals were good as well.

Although I think it makes perfect sense for him to work with a static set list (it really marked an improve in performance between 2012 and 2013), I think it is time for him and his band to craft a new set.

I thought I'd share my thoughts, but I see you got there before me - and I more or less agree.

The 16th felt like a pretty rough show. Since the setlist is so similar to the last time he came to Amsterdam (he played 5 different songs, I think, compared to 2 years ago) but this venue is way worse, the comparison is not really favorable.

Back then he was really in the zone, and taking a lot of care to sing those Sinatra songs properly; now, he was taking a more loose approach. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn't: there's more "Dylan" there, but his singing and pronounciation suffers. The piano playing seemed more plonky than usual, sometimes almost unmusical (and at times it felt like Sexton was parodying Dylan's playing, like on ERK).

Duquesne Whistle was the low point of the show for me. Cutting the main guitar part in this newish arrangment hollows the song out, and Dylan was dangerously close to really being off time throughout the song. They did play the best version of Love Sick I've heard him do in recent times to make up for it, though..

Judging by Bob's face and how active Tony was tonight, I'd guess I'm not the only person who wasn't totally satisfied with yesterday's performance. It's been a while since I'd seen everyone chatting so much on stage. Even Stu seemed to have something to say.

Noodle was again relatively long and performed partly with lights on because someone turned off the stage lights but not the ones on the floor.

Very early on, Tony seemed to be unhappy with whatever George was doing. I've no idea what they were talking about, but it looked like Tony was warning George about something. Towards the end of the show, there was again a moment where George seemed to be ready to do something Tony didn't really approve of. He gave him the kind of look people give to their toddlers when they catch them prepared to do something they know they shouldn't do.

Based on the comments above I'm wondering if there was a problem with the monitor mixes/onstage sound.

Seems they have turned the volume levels way up again to near rock levels. The last few euro tours the stage soundlevels were not above 100db and it was almost acoustic concert levesl. (I actually talked to soundengineer about it in Hamburg in 2014 and realized it myself standing in right in front of the band for the encores there.

This meant for sure that its way easier to sing in a lower range and with less shouting than Dylan does now where the sound is back to higher levels. If you go back and check the recordings from 2014 and 215 you will realize how much more slick Bobs voice sounds on those recordings.

It seems he has a tendency to shout more when being center, possibly due to being closer to the drummer. Than when being at the piano.

I don't post here often (anymore), but here are my thoughts on the first night (april 16th):

Compared to his last two visits to Amsterdam (2013, same venue - 2015 in Carre) I thought there was a remarkable drop in quality of performance. I thought those last two visits were great, but this concert was average at best.

While I enjoy some Sinatra covers (Melancholy Mood for instance), I thought All or Nothing at All, and Old Black Magic were terrible. Autumn Leaves is fine, but not as a closer to the main set.

But also the other stuff was not quite as good as it has been before. Pay in Blood, Long and Wasted Years and Things Have Changed are really lacklustre compared to 2 or 3 years ago. Ballad of a Thin Man is not nearly as good as it was around 2010/2011. Also, while She Belongs to Me was often a highlight imo (and performed with vigor) we now get a throw away performance of Don't Think Twice. Same goes for Desolation Row: while Forgetful Heart or Simple Twist used to be show stoppers, this is just a mess (not in the least due to the piano).

There were some good moments though: really enjoyed Love Sick (almost on par with the great 2015 versions as final encore), Tangled, and Early Roman Kings. Overall I thought the vocals were good as well.

Although I think it makes perfect sense for him to work with a static set list (it really marked an improve in performance between 2012 and 2013), I think it is time for him and his band to craft a new set.

I thought I'd share my thoughts, but I see you got there before me - and I more or less agree.

The 16th felt like a pretty rough show. Since the setlist is so similar to the last time he came to Amsterdam (he played 5 different songs, I think, compared to 2 years ago) but this venue is way worse, the comparison is not really favorable.

Back then he was really in the zone, and taking a lot of care to sing those Sinatra songs properly; now, he was taking a more loose approach. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn't: there's more "Dylan" there, but his singing and pronounciation suffers. The piano playing seemed more plonky than usual, sometimes almost unmusical (and at times it felt like Sexton was parodying Dylan's playing, like on ERK).

Duquesne Whistle was the low point of the show for me. Cutting the main guitar part in this newish arrangment hollows the song out, and Dylan was dangerously close to really being off time throughout the song. They did play the best version of Love Sick I've heard him do in recent times to make up for it, though..

Could not agree more... The entire things is getting more and more stale and sloppy at the same time.

Joined: Thu October 24th, 2013, 20:22 GMTPosts: 31Location: High on the hill

As to the comments regarding the recent performances.I have not been to these shows or even listened to the recordings.Only because I don't want to mess with the live experience I will have coming up in June on the East Coast. But I will say, that while I enjoyed the hell out of last summers performances of a very similar set list. There is no question that this is an incredibly powerful blues band and a great blues singer who are not playing much of the blues at this time. During the 2012 tours I heard some of the best live blues performance of any band, and to top it off the enthusiasm and excitement Bob was exhibiting on stage were just to die for. I remember a show in Johnstown PA when I thought he would jump right off the stage on top of us he was so wound up, he sang a rare performance of Savings Grace, but he also did Jolene and Can't Wait with the first season of piano instead of the organ.It is hard to get excited about the slower tunes and the swing sound when you love the blues.That is most likely why the performance of ERK and Love Sick are so great in this tour, it is what the band excels at. I don't long for more of his older songs, I just want to hear more of what the band is so great at, the rough rolling, hard rocking blues/jazz thing they do so well and with so much polish.

Still I will never complain at the opportunity to see The Dylan Show live under any circumstances,As our fellow fan Johnny Borgan has said before, " I will stand in line!"

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